A Potted Chronology of Llamas in the UK

The intention here is to make a listing of known facts to help establish a chronology of llamas in the UK. To date there is no detailed history of llamas in the UK although rumours abound regarding the past. This is the start of building an evidence base from which a history can be written. The first 3 entries are extracted from Helen Cowie's fabulousbook on Llamas which tells us more about alpacas than llamas in the UK. Individuals are encouraged to contribute to this listing stating their source using the submission form below.

Poster for Wombwell’s Touring Menagarie, undated but thought, by virtue of a written note on it, to be 22 August 1825. Description of Elepho Camelus ( lama?)

Poster for Wombwell’s Touring Menagarie, 20 August 1828

1828

The Llama Hut at London Zoowas one of the earliest buildings on-site, it was designed by Decimus Burton. It was the first animal house to be built from brick and was completed by 16 May 1828. A clocktower was added in 1829. The building still exists today as a First Aid centre.

1829

A white and a brown llama described at London Zoo (opened in 1828) in their Guide to the Gardens of the Zoological Society pp. 8-9. One described as morose.

1836 - Goldsmith in his famous History of Man and Quadriceps (1838, p. 326) claims that George III had several llamas at Windsor Park but not were long lived. Perhaps the answer lies in what he writes:

1841

from The History of Progress in Great Britain, Volume 1

1844

Lithograph of llamas at Knowsley Hall drawn from life December 1844 by B. Waterhouse Hawkins

Royal Agricultural Society held a meeting at Liverpool where alpacas and llamas? were exhibited at Lord Derby's estate in Knowsley.

1846

6 June - Much dissatisfaction having arisen among the artizens engaged in the production of the Llama Cloth in the West of England, by reason of a rumour that it was the intention of the Messrs. Nicoll, of Regent-street, to remove such manufacture nearer to the metropolis, those gentlemen have issued a circular denying such to be their purpose, and which has allayed the fears of a…. John Bull (London, England), Saturday, June 06, 1846; pg. 350; Issue 1,330.

25 July - Some notion of the exquisite texture obtained by the aid of the Llama wool may be gained from the fact that, without destroying the waterproof character of the cloth, the Messrs. Nicoll, of Regent-street, have succeeded in making their registered Paletot, for the present hot weather, of a lightness almost astonishing. John Bull (London, England), Saturday, July 25, 1846

1851

27 September - Mention of 21 alpacas/llamas sold on death of the Earl of Derby from his estate at Knowsley. Illustrated London News. Said to fetch a fair price between 33 and 65 £. Morning Post 13 October, 1851. Said to be unrivalled collection in Europe. Morning Post 26/12/1851

1 Llama Sold for £28, Mr Atkins, proprietor of Liverpool Zoo.

1 Llama (old), past its best days Sold for £26, Jamrach, a German from Hamburg

Camelids. Llama History of the Earth and Animated Nature. Oliver Goldsmith 1857

1857

Prices for wool as follows:

Vicuna, 7s to 7s 7d

Alpaca, 3s

Guanaco, 2s to 2s 6d

Aviru, 2s 6d to 3s

Llama 1s to 1s 4d

Goat – Cashmere, 2s to 2s 6d

Camel, 10d to 12d

Bear, 6d to 7d

(Alpaca, The Original Peruvian Sheep, Before the Spaniards Invaded South America, for Naturalisation in other Countries. Recommended through the Natural History Society of Liverpool in 1839. By William Danson of 6, Shaw street, Liverpool. Printed by M. Rourke, 3, South John Street, Liverpool, 1852supplied by Helen Cowie)

1858

20 March - Auction of llamas transported over 4,000 miles overland from Peru to New York where purchased by British citizen Mr Benjamin Whitehead Gee of Acton, London. Ledger's The Alpaca: Its Introduction Into Australia

29 May - 39 llamas arrive in Glasgow? from New York imported by Mr B. W. Gee Illustrated London News

3 May - 12 llamas reported to have landed at the Port of Liverpool from Buenos Aires, the property of Mr H. E. Rogers of Mossley Hill, Liverpool. Manchester Guardian. Travelled on steam ship Bronte, served 28 days quarantine before being distributed to various zoos in the UK The Scotsman 25.5.1930

8 November - Baby llama born at Edinburgh Zoo The Scotsman

1931

3 January - 2 llamas at private zoo at Ampthill, Beds described in Western Mail

9 February mention of llamas private zoo near Cobham, Surrey British Movietone News

1932

21 April - Film of llama at Chessington Zoo

30 July - Birth of llama at London Zoo announced by the Illustrated London News,

1933

Evidence of llamas at Liverpool Zoo, imported by Mr Herbert Rogers The Scotsman

16 September - Gentleman found guilty of being drunk in charge of a llama in Brixton high street reported in The Times newspaper

1935

17 October - Birth of llama at London Zoo announced in the Daily Telegraph

1937

2 March - Baby llama born at Edinburgh Zoo The Scotsman

1938

18 April - llama in film of animals at Whipsnade Zoo, British Movietone News

A solicitor who bought one of the 7 surplus to requirement being auctioned by Mary Chipperfields Circus in Over Wallop, near Andover in 1980 to train to spit at disliked neighbours over the garden fence. (The Guardian 20 Nov 1980: 6)

1982

Formation of British Camelid Association.

1988

British Camelids Association founded (incorporated 20th May), Representing the llama fraternity were Pamela Walker, Derek Williams and Ann and Peter Knowles-Brown alongside Adele Bentley and Jenny Cobb from the alpaca community (Companies House)

The Times ( October 13, p.7) mentions the auction of Pamela Walker’s Maplehurst Llamas at Stoneleigh 27 lots grossing £87,885.

12th June - 1st Llama Khama, Bildeston, Suffolk reported in The Times newspaper. Aimed to promote awareness and interest in the animal but turned out a bit of a disaster in that the llamas were uncooperative. Interview with Norma Chandler.

14 November - Mention of Llama Khama and suggests llamas can hit you with spit at about 4 feet with a foul smelling spray. The Sunday Observer

Defra agree that for contiguous testing only , the tuberculin injection (skin test ) used for the purpose of priming the llamas immune system prior to blood testing no longer has to be injected in his armpit .